Monday, February 29, 2016

No New Gear

This may sound counterintuitive. After all, we are told that new gear will help us backpack more, and make our experience more comfortable, better, new and improved.

But researching new gear, shopping for deals, and testing out new gear— all of that takes time and energy. What if instead all that time was spent on more important things like actually going hiking or backpacking?

Same outfit for the last 2000 miles.

This year, I embarked on an experiment to buy No New Stuff. The impetus was that I took a massive salary cut to join AmeriCorps, and needed to curtail my spending to fit the less than minimum wage “living stipend” (which had to cover essentials like health insurance, car repairs and insurance, and gas money). The experiment had unintended consequences— it freed up my time and also changed how I think about gear.

There is a myth that you need new stuff to improve your backpacking experience. But things aren’t, in themselves, a source of joy. Sure some basics are required and granted I already have quality gear that I bought back when I made more money. But I used to waste time thinking up material solutions to my backpacking discomforts. I wasted even more time getting sucked into the vortex of gear reviews and online forums, and even more time shopping online, trying out new gear, and returning gear. The whole consumerist cycle added up to a huge time and energy sink that wasn’t necessary.

Cold feet get frustrating when you don't automatically go buy winter boots and instead try to make do.

My experiment taught me to instead concentrate on skills, adjust my expectations, and borrowed or improvised gear. All of these not only save money, but I find them more intrinsically worthwhile activities.

For example, there is always going to be some lighter gear replacement. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars lightening my pack, which improved my backpacking to a point. But now, I just try to find out what I can go without, rather than replace the items I already have.

Another case— over the years, I’ve spent countless hours on the quest for trail shoes. And at the end of the day, I’ve got a closet full of shoes none of which keep my feet consistently happy. Is there some miracle shoe out there that if I just kept looking would bring me ultimate comfort? I’ve ceased believing in that. Instead, I make do with what I have, and use techniques to keep myself safe and healthy.

Taping my feet makes slightly poor fitting shoes acceptable.

Sometimes, the No New Gear rule got frustrating. I broke down after a few months and bought trail maps for the new area I moved to. The experiment was about providing an opportunity to discover new ways of being, it wasn’t about being stupid enough to hike without something essential like paper maps.

Don't skimp on the important things like maps.

Don’t want to go so extreme as my No New Gear experiment? Here are the lessons and practices that are the most valuable. Give them a try and see if they help you to reduce your gear spending:

-Make a list of your desired purchases, and give yourself 1-3 months waiting time before pulling the trigger.

-Do an experiment to see if you can go without the item you want. Maybe you’ll find you don’t need it after all.

-Stop reading articles or blogs about gear for a while. See if you are happier with what you already have if you aren’t comparing your gear to other people’s.

-Repair or patch your gear to get more use out of it.

Just need more glue.

Holes are just a feature to promote air flow.

-Replace broken items with things you already have. While I loved my platypus, when the hose went bad, I started using gatorade bottles instead.

-Borrow, freecycle, and ask around for a gear loan. Get books at your library.

-Skip the trip to REI and instead go take a hike.

- Take a step back to examine what you really value in life. The biggest costs are in a life not fully lived, in days spent at home rather than on the trail.

The payoff for the No New Gear experiment went beyond just saving time and money. Ultimately, I was able to afford taking the pay cut to do something of value: serving in AmeriCorps last summer and fall, and then being a Volunteer In Park at a National Monument this winter. Both richly rewarding experiences that brought me joy and fulfillment. Not having new gear was a small price for being able to realize my dreams.

22 comments:

I agree, I have started selling some of the gear I optimistically bought. I often think it was easier in the old days before internet. You saw what your friends had, and if you liked it, you got it, and it was fine. As a wilderness ranger I carried a pack that weighed 7 pounds empty and was thrilled to have it.

I have fit myself and two sons under my light tarp that is big enough (10 feet by 12 feet) to drop all sides and block winter wind. In the summer I open it and use mosquito nets - one for each person. I use aluminum gutter spikes as tent spikes; they are light and inexpensive. Don't talk yourself into an expensive tent unless you want all of its bells and whistles - and weight! See Camphor.com for 1.1 0z silicon impregnated ripstop nylon tarps. I sewed on extra loops for attachment points so I could customize my tarp arrangements and hang things - like mosquito netting - from the inside of the tarp.

I want what I consider the best gear for me. I would rather cut out other things in life to afford this. I live pretty minimalist. But what u do have I want to be high quality. I am almost where I want to be with gear. And it gets hard to walk into a gear shop when you buy most things from cottage companies. I don't really enjoy REI etc. I try to make a list of the new gear I want for the next year and think hard about each purchase. Nothing is worse than buying spontaneously and regretting what you bought. Also. I like the idea of buying an extra copy when I found something I love because companies always discontinue a good thing eventually. Thinking about that gossamer gear pilgrim pack now as a good middle pack for my arsenal. I currently have a type II and a gorilla. I'm pretty much set. Lol I agree with you though. Just get out and hike

Thanks for the comments John. I absolutely agree with you about quality gear. This experiment taught me to value the longlasting gear I already had. And before the PCT I bought nearly two of everything too.

I agree with John. Plus, buying new gear actually gets me out more! If I have the chance to try something new I make a small trip or day hike out of it to test out whatever it is I bought. New gear gets people excited to get out more. It does for me, otherwise I get tripped up in "normal" life on weekends.

Very rarely does new gear enhance your experience. Now and then there is some earth shattering breakthrough (like the Sawyer water filter) that fundementally changes how you hike. Other than that there isnt much new under the sun. 53 years backpacking has proven it so to me.

I couldn't backpack at all without newer more lightweight gear than what I had 20 years ago; it was just too heavy and my body can't do it any more. No amount of fitness training can help my aging joints withstand heavy loads, and enjoy the hike. So while a lot of "gear" is just extra stuff and clutter and doesn't add to the enjoyment, the key pieces are worth spending money on. That said, if you don't have the money, you can still go and do it on the cheap if you have to.

Karen- I whole-heartedly agree about the importance of having a light pack. I've put in the time to get my base weight down to the 10-12 lbs range for my long distance hiking. But now that Ive got a good cuben fiber tarp, GG backpack that I love, etc. I just dont see the utility of spending the time to shave off perhaps a few more ounces. It took me a while to figure that out thought- I definitely get caught in the consumerist mentality too easily, wanting to have the bright shiny new gear and stay uptodate with the latest and greatest. This experiment was just about teying to break free from that mentality-- not saying at all that I dont value my light pack. :)

Nice to hear! I've been rocking the same gear for years too but I sans the skimp and prefer sticking to the solid when it comes to my gear. I'm not ultralight or heavyweight either, but cozylight. Having assurity in whatever gear you do have with you will save even more time - that which would otherwise be spent on worrying, repairing, or adjusting to accommodate for skimpy gear. Keep it true to the thru. Multi-purpose, not multi-purchase.

My first backpacking trip I went with 35 pounds of pack and gear, now I am a gram weanie and only take the bare necessities, some of which were expensive but worth it, as now my aging body can go further and harder and happier.

That's great that you've found the way to get out more--that's really what its all about.

Before the PCT, I spent so much time on my computer with my gear spreadsheets, figuring out how to shave off the ounces (it was much easier to reduce pack weight back when my pack weighed more- the lighter it gets the harder it is...). Now, I find I dont want to spend as much of my time in front of a screen-- I need more time outside everyday.

AWESOME POST!! You illustrate the peak of Take Less Do More; actually you have taken it to a whole new level: Buy Less Do More. Great thought-provoking post. I recently 'winnowed' my gear supplies, since I end up taking the same stuff trip after trip anyway. Looks like I should do it again...

Thanks so much. Yes, it really is about taking that lightweight backpacking philosophy to heart and applying it to life in general. Actually when I joined AmeriCorps, I told myself: Make Less, Do More. :) Which made it all worthwhile.

The magic shoes you want are sandals! It's heat that causes blisters, and sandals keep you cool. By going barefoot whenever possible, I only need the lightest sandals when carrying a load in hard terrain. I just made a pair of Tarahumara style sandals out of inclined conveyor belting.

I think it takes a bit to get where you are. Finding the right gear for YOU. I love that I'm almost there. The only item in still willing to trial is the right tent. Otherwise I love the philosophy of buy less, live more.

It sure did take a long time, and a ton of trial and error, to get to this point. And I couldn't do it if I took on a new environment or wanted to do other outdoor activities. Also, I couldn't do it if you hadn't given me your old tent! LOL! Thanks for making it possible! :)